An investigation was under way today to establish how a van careered into the path of a train - killing one person and leaving 14 others needing hospital treatment.

The van smashed through a wall and was hit by a two-carriage passenger train near a level crossing close to Nocton, Lincolnshire, just before 6.30pm yesterday - the first anniversary of the Selby rail disaster.

The dead man was the driver of the white Mercedes van, which was virtually cut in two by the force of the impact, Lincolnshire Police said.

Returning to the scene of the crash today, one couple who were on the train described the terrifying events.

Ben Goodwin, 17, from Metheringham, who needed hospital treatment, told how he forced open the doors of the train with his hands and led his girlfriend, Jennifer Short, 17, to safety.

He said: "There was just this massive crash and the lights went out. Then people started screaming. We could smell fuel everywhere.

"The doors wouldn't open at first - then we managed to get them open and people came out."

It appeared that the van, thought to be registered locally, had been driving away from Nocton along an old main road, when it crashed through a wall and dropped about 20ft on to the tracks.

After being struck by the 15.42 Central Trains Birmingham New Street to Sleaford service, the van was carried 40 metres before it ground to a halt.

A few yards on, the rear carriage of the train still appeared to be on the rails, but the leading carriage pointed off the tracks and towards the embankment.

Around 30 of the 50 passengers were described as "walking wounded".

Fourteen need hospital treatment for cuts and bruises, but only one was kept in overnight, on-call manager at Lincoln County Hospital, Sarah Tedford said last night.

Miss Short, from Washingborough, Lincolnshire, said she suffered bruising to her ribs after hitting the table they were sitting at. She said Mr Goodwin had the same injury.

She said today: "There was a huge bang and the train started wobbling from side-to-side."

Student Mr Goodwin said: "I was the first off the train. I jumped down and tried to help our friends off."

Miss Short said: "I helped my other friend out because she had hit her head on the window when the train stopped.

"We saw some light in front and were absolutely terrified because we thought it might be another train coming.

"I grabbed my friend Jade, and Ben took Danielle and we ran up the bank as fast as we could."

One year ago yesterday, ten were killed in the Selby crash when a Land Rover ended up on the East Coast mainline.

Ten men - six commuters and four railway staff - died in the disaster. It was caused when builder Gary Hart, 37, of Strubby, Lincs, fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle and plunged off the M62.

Moments later his Land Rover was hit by a southbound GNER express train, which then collided with a train carrying 1,600 tonnes of coal.

Hart was convicted at Leeds Crown Court last year of ten counts of causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed in January for five years.

Pamela Edwards, the mother of Selby crash victim Janine, last night said she could not believe the accident could take place on the anniversary of the Selby disaster.

She said: "This is another cry out to the Government to do something about train (track) safety."

However, Lee Taylor, the wife of victim Paul Taylor, said she did not believe the two incidents appeared to be the same.

The accident will be investigated by the Railway Inspectorate, the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions said.

Police and crash investigators started examining the scene of the crash early today. The first carriage of the train was standing upright, straddling the south-bound track of the Lincoln to Sleaford line. Behind it, debris trailed back to the wreckage of the Mercedes van, which was covered with a green tarpaulin.

Skid marks traced the path of the vehicle, which crashed through a brick wall of a closed-off bridge before falling some 20 feet on to the tracks.